Folding-machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. J. CLAUSE. FOLDING MACHINE.

W $0M; r MM ATTORNEYS (No Model.)

. v zsheis-sneei 2.- J. J. CLAUSE. FOLDING MACHINE. No. 244,980, Patented Au"g.2,1881.

WITNESSES h ATTORNEYS UN TED STAT S PATENT f OFF CE.

FOLDlNGv'MACHINE.

signcrncucrronroimin are r Letters Patent No. 244,980, dated August 2, 188 1.

7 Application filed December 23,1880, (No-model.) I

To all whom it mag concern.-

Be itknow n that I, JOHNJ. GLAUSE,0f Ohicago, in the county of Gooka'nd State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Newspaper-Folding Machinesf of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates toimprovements in newspaper-folding machines designed to be even width and the same relates more particularlylto an improvement upon the newspaperfoldingmachine patented to Conrad Kahler,

x 5 as appears by his Letters Patent of the United StatesNo. 204,578, bearingdate J one 4, 1878. Theobject of my invention is to provide a fold-in g-machine whichfwill fold and take care of the product of the press to which it is connected, whether the same be full-size sheets, half-sizesheets, or. quarter-size sheets, or other.

w Heretofore in printing a half-size sheet or supplement it has been necessary not only to employ a separate and special foldin g-machine adapted to fold such sheet, but also to have a separate printing-press, as the folding-machine cannot be readily or quickly attached tofthe' press. The'saidpatented' machine of Kahler is adapted to fold'and' take care of either fullsize or half-size sheets as they come from' the press byisim ply doubling the speed of the folding-machine; but the same machine cannot beusedto fold-two quarter-sizesheets simultaneously as they are delivered side by sidefrom 3 5 thetpress; and. my invention consists in the novel arrangement andcombination of tapes, tape pulleys or rollers, folding rollers and blades, hereinafter de scribed,whereby the sam e machineis adapted to receive, fold, and take 0 care of the product of the press, whether the same be in full-size, half-size, or quarter-size sheets. I provide the said Kahler machine with a slitter to therear of the cutting-cylinders, for the purpose of cutting apart the quar- 5 ter-sizejsheetsas they come from the press. After being thus separated the two sheets are carried along side by side the same as though they constituted a single half-size sheet, and by the same arrangement of tapes andmecho. anism as in the Kahler machine, until they reach the point where the folding-rollers are located, t

Instead of a single pair of folding-rollers, as in the Kahler machine, I provide three pairs of folding-rollers arranged parallel to each' other side by side, and half the width of a quarter-size sheet apart-that is to say, a middle pair of folding-rollers, which are used when the product of thejpress is half-size or fullsize sheets, and two side pair of folding-roll- 6o 1ers, which are used when quarter-size sheets rare being printed. The system of tapes and tape rollers or pulleys is, so arrangedon and below the three pairs of folding-rollers that it will, without requiring any changeor adjustn1 ent, carry and deliver to the next succeeding folding-blade a half-size or full-size sheet as it comes from the middle pair of folding-rollers, or the two quarter-size sheets as they come simultaneously from the two side pairs of fold- 7o ing-rollersthat'is to say, I pass the upperset of continuous tapes over the outer roller of one of the side pairs of foldin g-rollers and under its companion, and thence over a roller located immediately under the middle pair of folding- 7 5 rollers; thence down under the j unction-roller,

;-and around the rollers arranged atthe ends of the next folding-blade. The'under set of continuous tapes pass between the other pair of side folding-rollers down to the junction pul- 8o ley' or roller, and thence around the pulleys or rollers arranged at the ends of the next folding-blade. a

The location of the junction-roller or set of pulleys is such that the two'quarter-size sheets leaving the two side pairs of folding-rollers simultaneously will reach the junction-roller,

the one directly after the other, so that the two; sheets will be delivered side by side to the next folding-blade and be folded simultaneo ously by it. The sheets are led from each of the three pairs of folding-rollers to the junction-roller on a single set of tapes, and guiderods are accordingly provided between said points.

size sheets or over the middle pair of foldingrollers for folding half-size or full-size sheets.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a device embodying my invention, showing the arrangment of the longitudinal sets of tapes and their pulleys or rollers, the other parts being removed. Fig. 2 is a similar transverse section, showing the sets of tapes and pulleys or rollers by which the sheets are carried from the three pairs of folding-rollers to the next folding-blade, and Fig. 3 is a detail plan view, showing the adjustable folding-blade.

In said drawings, A represents the cuttingcylinders. aistheuppersetofcontinuoustapes, passing around the upper receiving-roller, a, over the slitting-roller a under the roller a at which the switch or blower is located, over the elevating-rollers a and a under the rollers a and a located at each end of the folding-blades E, and over the tightener a back to the receiving-roller a. The under set of continuous tapes, 1), passes around the under receiving-roller, I), over slitting-roller a under roller 0. over roller b, around roller 21 over roller 1), and under the tightener b back to the receiving-roller b. The intermediate set of continuous tapes, 0, passes around the roller 0' and the elevating-rollers a and a C is the slitter, mounted on an adjustable arm, 0, so that it may be put in operation to sever the quarter-size sheets when such is the product of the press, and be elevated out of the way when half-size or full-size sheets are being printed.

The arrangement of tapes and tape pulleys or rollers shown in Fig. lis the same as in the Kahler machine, and I would refer to his said Patent No. 204,578 for a fuller description of the same, the only difference in this part of the machine being in the addition of the slitter.

D is the middle pair of folding-rollers, and D and D are the side pairs.

E is the adjustable folding-blade, which may be shifted in the guide-grooy e a so as to occupy the position over the middle pair of foldingrollers or the position indicated by the dotted line E over the side pair. It is secured in position by the bolts 0.

E is the other folding-blade, placed above the other side pair of folding-rollers. d is the adjustable or movable cam mounted on the cam-shaft d, which actuates the folding-blade E The cam which actuates the other blade is not shown in the drawings.

d is the pin attached to the folding-blade which works in the cam-groove. When halfsize or full-size sheets are being printed the blade E is secured in its middle position, and the cam d is shifted along on the shaft at, so that the blade IE will not be operated. When quarter-size sheets are being printed the blade E is shifted to its side position, and the cam d is fixed in position to actuate simultaneous] y the blade E by means of the set-screw d.

The dotted line (1 (I shows the position of the sheet or sheets before being folded.

The upper set of tapes, h, passes between the pair of folding-rollers D D, over the outside, and under the inside, roller; thence over the roller h, which is mounted on adjustable arms h and which is located close under the middle pair of folding-rollers, so that the set of tapes It will also lead the sheets delivered from said middle rollers; thence down under the junction-roller h, which is located equidistant from both pairs of rollers D D and D D, and thence around the rollers k and k arranged at each end of the succeeding foldingblade K, and back under the ti ghtener h to the pair of rollers D The under set of tapes, 7c, passes in like manner between the other pair of side rollers, D D, under the junction-roller h, around the roller h, thence around the rollers k and k arranged at each end of the folding-blade K, and back under the tightener k to the pair of folding-rollers D D. 'K K is the pair of folding-rollers arranged under the folding-blade K, and K K represent the two twice-folded quarter-size sheets as they drop from said folding-rollers into the delivery-box. The folded sheet or sheets after leaving the folding-rollers D D or D D and D D are led to the junction-roller it upon one set of tapes, and I provide a guide-rod, L, provided with a curved end at each extremity, which extends from the folding-rollers D D to the folding-rollers D D, and a forked guide-rod, L, provided with a curved end at each extremity of the fork, one of its forks extending from the side pair of folding-rollers, D D, and the other from the middlepair of folding-rollers, D D, to the junction-roller k The side pairs of folding-rollers are each onehalf the width of a quarter-size sheet from the middle pair, and the distance from the middle pair and from the side pairs, D D, to the junction-roller h is also one-half thewidth of a quarter-size sheet, so that the quarter-size sheet which leaves the'rollers D Dsimultaneously with the similar sheet which-leaves the rollers D D will reach the junction-roller h immediately after the latter, and thetwosheets will consequently be carried along and extended side by side over the folding-rollers K K in position to be simultaneously folded by the blade K.

In the operation of vmy'improved machine,

when quarter-size sheets are being printed, the

slitter is secured in position to sever the sheets and the adjustable blade E is secured in its side position. When half orfull sizesheets are the product of thepress the slitter is raised out of the "way and the actuating-cam is disconnected from the blade E and blade E moved to its middle position.

I have not thought it necessary herein to show or describe the gearing, driving mecham ism, and other parts of the complete foldingmachine, as they do not difier, essentially, from the same as shown in the said Letters Patent No. 204,578, granted to Conrad Kahler, and

dated June 4,1878, as aforesaid, and for a fullis adapted to fold and take care of the product of the press, whether itbe full-size, half-size, or quarter-size sheets, which greatly increases the value and convenience of the machine, as often in printing newspapers it is desired to print a quarter-size sheet or supplement from the same press that prints the half-size or fullsize sheets, which heretofore could not be done with the Kahler machine, as a separate foldinginachine specially adapted to fold such size sheets had to be employed.

What I claim is- I. In a folding-machine, the combination of the middle and side pairs of foldin g-rollers and their foldin g-blades, substantially as described,

adapted and arrangedto fold the several sized sheets, and sets of tapes h and k, adapted and arranged to lead and carry to the succeeding folding-blade not only the sheets delivered simultaneously from the two side pairs of 'folding-rollers, but also the sheets delivered from 5 middle pair of folding-rollers, substantially as 2; The combination of movable slitter with mechanism for leading to the folding-rollers D D, l) D, and D D, provided with foldingblades E and E adjustable substantially as described, and sets of tapes h and 70, whereby the quarter-size sheets and half-size or full-size sheets are carried and extended over the next pair of folding-rollers, substantially as speci- 3. The combination of the folding-rollers D D, D D, and D D arranged as described, upper set of tapes, h, under set of tapes, k, with their tape rollers or pulleys, whereby the sheets are led from said folding-rollers to the next pair of folding-rollers, substantially as specified.

4. The combination of folding-rollers D D,

D D, and D D arranged as described, un-

der set of tapes, k, upper set of tapes, h, guide rods L and L, and tape rollers or pulleys, arranged as described, whereby the quarter-size sheets are carried and delivered side by side under the succeeding folding-blade, substantially as specified. v

5. The combination of the movable slitter 0, sets of tapes a, b, and 0, blade E adapted to be disconnected from its driving-cam, adjustable blade E, adapted to be secured in position to fold one of the two quarter-size sheets orin position to fold half-size or full-size sheets, and folding-rollers D D, D D, and D D, substantially as specified;

' JNO. J. CLAUSE. Witnesses:

EDMUND ADGOOK, V Enw. 'S. EVARTS. 

